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Wells Fargo Donates $25,000 to Relief International for Victims of Bam Earthquake January 8, 2004 Wells Fargo Donates $25,000 to Relief International for Victims of Bam Earthquake LOS ANGELES, January 8, 2004 ? Wells Fargo & Company said it has made a donation of $25,000 to Relief International for the victims of the recent earthquake in Bam, Iran. The earthquake, which occurred on December 26, 2003 and measured 6.7 on the Richter scale, was centered near the ancient city of Bam in southern Iran. Virtually all of the buildings in the historic city collapsed. An estimated 35,000 people perished and thousands more were injured. "With many Iranian team members and customers, Wells Fargo wanted to help the survivors of this devastating earthquake as they put their lives back together and rebuild their cities and villages," said Shelley Freeman, regional president for Wells Fargo in Los Angeles. "Many of us know people here in our own communities who have lost family members and friends in Bam and the surrounding villages. In fact, outside of Iran, more Iranians reside in Los Angeles than any other part of the world." "From urban communities in the United States to disaster affected families in the developing world, Wells Fargo has always been a leader in the philanthropic community," said Farshad Rastegar PhD, CEO of Relief International. "This donation is but a small illustration of how Wells Fargo is making a direct impact in the lives of disaster victims across the globe." Relief International is a Los Angeles-based international relief and development agency that currently has personnel in Iran to provide aid to the victims. Providing relief to the families most impacted by the earthquake and returning them to safety and security during the current winter conditions by constructing shelters for 500 homeless families in Bam and 11 surrounding villages is the agency's top priority. Wells Fargo & Company, a diversified financial services company with $391 billion in assets, gave $82 million in 2002 to nonprofit organizations throughout the country and was recently ranked the eighth largest corporate donor among all industries by Forbes Magazine. It is the largest corporate donor to Los Angeles area nonprofit organizations. Last year, the company gave more than $10 million to support organizations throughout the Southland that focus on community development, education, human services, arts and culture and other charitable causes. In addition, Wells Fargo team members contributed thousands of hours in volunteer time to work on community projects throughout Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. |